POM - Chapters 5-8 (TWO)

A finite population in waiting line management refers to a population that is large enough in relation to the service system so that the change in population size caused by subtraction or additions to the population does not significantly affect the system probabilities.

False

A tellers' window in a bank is an example of a single channel, multiphase queuing system.

False

The admissions system in a hospital for patients is an example of a single channel, single phase queuing system.

False

Which of the following is an example of a finite population in a queuing system? -People waiting to place their order at a fast food restaurant -The departmental faculty in line at the copy machine. -People waiting in line at an ATM. -Patients seeking help in a hospital emergency room -Taxpayers calling for assistance from the IRS

The department faculty in line at the copy machine

Which of the following refers to the physical presence of the customer in a service system?

Customer contact

Arrival characteristics in a queuing problem analysis include the length of the queue.

False

The "line of visibility" is a feature of:

The service blueprint

A variable arrival rate is more common in waiting line management than a constant arrival rate.

True

Poka-Yoke is roughly translated from Japanese as "Avoid Mistakes."

True

Which of the following is not a queue discipline discussed in the textbook? -First come, first served -Last in, first out -Limited needs -Shortest processing time -Best customer first

Last in, first out

In the service-system design matrix, a mail contact service encounter is expected to have which of the following?

Low sales opportunity

duplicate2

duplicate2

A firm will work with a customer to design the product, and then make it from purchased materials, parts, and components. This firm is called:

An engineer to order firm

((Start of chapter 7)) Effective management of services requires a clear focus on understanding operations, so much so, that it may even require the exclusion of consideration of marketing or personnel.

False

If the sum of the task times required to produce a product is 80 minutes and the cycle time for the same product is 15 minutes, the theoretical minimum number of workstations is 8 using the assembly-line balancing procedure.

False

In balancing an assembly line, workstation cycle time has to be less than the time between successive units coming off the end of the line.

False

Which of the following are alternative possible service encounters included in the Service-System Design Matrix?

Mall contact

A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. An analyst wanting to know whether to add a fourth operator or downsize to two operators would be helped by using queuing theory analysis.

True

A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. An analyst who wanted to know how much production was being lost by machines waiting for service could use queuing theory analysis to find out.

True

A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. When an operator is absent, the amount of production being lost by machines waiting for service increases. The analyst can use queuing theory analysis to determine whether to pay overtime to an operator from a different shift or not.

True

An infinite population in waiting line management refers to a population that is large enough in relation to the service system so that the change in population size caused by subtraction or additions to the population does not significantly affect the system probabilities.

True

For the purposes of assembly-line balancing, the required workstation cycle time is found by dividing production time per day by the required units of output per day.

True

Highest-profit customer first is a queue discipline discussed in the textbook.

True

Ideally in waiting line or queuing analysis we want to balance the cost of service capacity with the cost of waiting.

True

If the sum of the task times required to produce a product is 45 minutes and the cycle time for the same product is 10 minutes. Thus, the theoretical minimum number of workstations is 5 using the assembly-line balancing procedure.

True

In designing a production layout a flexible line layout might have the shape of a "U".

True

It is difficult to separate the operations management functions from marketing in services.

True

There are different queuing models to fit different queuing situations.

True

Which of the following basic types of process structures is one which similar equipment or functions are grouped together? Project Workcenter Manufacturing cell Assembly line Continuous process

Workcenter

Which of the following is a basic type of process structure? Process flow diagram Product matrix Process matrix Workcenter Manual assembly

Workcenter

Which of the following is not a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? - Train your servers to be friendly - Segment the customers - Determine an acceptable waiting time for your customers - Inform your customers of what to expect - Encourage customers to come during slack periods

determine and acceptable waiting time for your customers

In the service-system design matrix, a face-to-face loose specs service encounter is expected to have which of the following?

low production efficiency

A company is concerned about the number of customers that have to wait for service in their customer service department. Assume the rate at which customers arrive is 12 per hour. Using the infinite queuing notion for the models presented in the textbook, which of the following is the mean time between arrivals?

none of these Mean time between arrivals = 1 / Arrival rate = 1 1/2 = 0.0833 hours or 5 minutes

Getting an autograph from a famous person might involve standing in which type of queuing line structure? -Single channel, single phase -Single channel, multiphase -Multichannel, single phase -Multichannel, multiphase -None of these

Single channel, single phase

Which of the following is not a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? (duplicated) - Try to divert your customer's attention when waiting - Segment the customers - Encourage customers to come during a slack period - Train your servers to be friendly - Periodically close the service channel to temporarily disperse the line

Periodically close the service channel to temporarily disperse the line

The service blueprint makes a distinction between:

High and low customer contact aspects of the service

In the service-system design matrix, an internet and on-site technology service encounter is expected to have which of the following?

High production efficiency

Buying a ticket for a college football game where there are multiple windows to buy the ticket at features which type of queuing system line structure? - Single channel, single phase - Single channel, multiphase - Multichannel, single phase - Multichannel, multiphase - None of these

Multichannel, single phase

Which of the following is considered a high-contact service operation?

Physician practice

Which of the following is not a basic type of process structure? Product-process matrix Workcenter Manufacturing cell Assembly line Continuous process

Product-process matrix

In a college registration process, several department heads have to approve an individual student's semester course load. What is the queuing system line structure? -Single channel, single phase -Single channel, multiphase -Multichannel, single phase -Multichannel, multiphase -None of these

Single channel, multiphase

A roller coaster ride in an amusement park employs which type of queuing system line structure? -Single channel, single phase -Single channel, multiphase -Multichannel, single phase -Multichannel, multiphase -None of these

Single channel, single phase

The Poisson probability distribution is used in waiting line management when we are interested in the number of arrivals to a queue during some fixed time period.

True

The term "encounter" is defined by Webster's Dictionary as "meeting in conflict or battle" and is used to also designate meetings between consumers and service systems.

True

The customer arrivals in a queuing system come almost exclusively from infinite populations.

False Arrivals at a service system may be drawn from a finite or an infinite population. The distinction is important because the analyses are based on different premises and require different equations for their solution.

According to Little's Law, which of the following ratios is used to find throughput rate? Cycle time/Process time Throughput time/Process velocity Process velocity/Throughput time Inventory /Flow time Value added time/Process velocity

Inventory / Flow Time

In the service-system design matrix, a face-to-face total customization service encounter is expected to have which of the following?

Low production efficiency

Machine breakdown and repair in a twelve machine factory having one repair mechanic would develop which type of queuing system line structure concerning machine breakdowns? -Single channel, single phase -Single channel, multiphase -Multichannel, single phase -Multichannel, multiphase -None of these

Multichannel, single phase

Standing in line to buy a ticket for a movie where there are multiple windows to buy tickets is which type of queuing system line structure? -Single channel, single phase -Single channel, multiphase -Multichannel, single phase -Multichannel, multiphase -None of these

Multichannel, single phase

In a practical sense, a finite population is one that potentially would form a very long line in relation to the capacity of the serving system.

False

In a practical sense, an infinite queue is one that includes every possible member of the served population.

False

In a waiting line situation, multiple lines occur only when there are multiple servers.

False

Poka-Yoke is roughly translated from Japanese as "Quality Management."

False

The "service blueprint" is a classification of services.

False

The demand on a hospital's emergency medical services is considered a controllable arrival pattern of the calling population.

False

The service-system design matrix identifies five alternative forms of service encounters.

False

The term "queue discipline" involves the art of controlling surly and unruly customers who have become irritated by waiting.

False

The work process involved in providing the service must involve the physical presence of the customer in the system.

False

The customer arrivals in a queuing system come almost exclusively from finite populations.

False Arrivals at a service system may be drawn from a finite or an infinite population. The distinction is important because the analyses are based on different premises and require different equations for their solution.

Which of the following is an alternative possible service encounter included in the service-system design matrix?

Internet

Which of these expressions is Little's Law?

Inventory/Flow time = Throughput rate: Inventory/Throughput Rate = Flow time Inventory = Throughput rate × Flow time Throughput Rate/Inventory = 1/Flow Time Answer: All of the above

An important aspect of service products is that they cannot be inventoried.

True

Longest waiting time in line is a queue discipline discussed in the textbook.

True

Poka-Yokes are procedures that block the inevitable mistake from becoming a service defect.

True

Services often take the form of repeated encounters involving face-to-face interactions.

True

The central problem in virtually every waiting line situation is a trade-off decision balancing the costs of adding services with the costs of waiting.

True

The demand on a hospital's emergency medical services is considered an uncontrollable arrival pattern of the calling population.

True

The service-system design matrix identifies six forms of service encounters.

True

The term "assembly line" refers to progressive assembly linked by some material handling device.

True

Which of the following is a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? (duplicated) - Train your servers to be friendly - Tell customers that the line should encourage them to come during slack periods - Give each customer a number - Periodically close the service channel to temporarily disperse the line - Use humor to defuse a potentially irritating situation

train your servers to be friendly

The first step in balancing an assembly line is to specify the precedence relationships among tasks to be performed on the line.

true

Which of the following is not considered a major work flow structure? -Work Center -Project -Assembly line -Fabrication -Continuous Flow

Fabrication

Every service has a service package, which is defined as a bundle of goods and services provided in some environment. The service package consists of five features. Which of the following is not one of these features?

Facilitating services

Because little or no inventory is carried in a service operation, it is easy to separate the operations management functions from marketing in services.

False

Best customer last is a queue discipline discussed in the textbook.

False

Customer contact refers to creation of the service.

False

Gas stations, loading docks, and parking lots have infinite potential length of lines for their respective queuing systems.

False

You have just determined the actual number of workstations that will be used on an assembly line to be 8 using the assembly-line balancing procedure. The cycle time of the line is 10 minutes and the sum of all that tasks required on the line is 60 minutes. Which of the following is the correct value for the resulting line's efficiency?

0.750 Using equation 6.5, [60 / (8 x 10)] = 0.750.

Which of the following is not a step in developing a manufacturing cell layout? -Grouping parts into families that follow a common sequence of steps -Identifying dominant flow patterns of parts families as a basis for location of processes -Physically grouping machines and processes into cells -Disposing of left-over machinery and outsourcing ungrouped processes -None of the above

Disposing of left-over machinery and outsourcing ungrouped processes

Which following queue discipline is discussed in the textbook? -Emergencies first -Garner-Whitten formula -Newest customer first -Patient customers last -None of these

Emergencies First

Buying food at a large food store with multiple checkout counters features which type of queuing system line structure? - Single channel, single phase - Single channel, multiphase - Multichannel, single phase - Multichannel, multiphase - None of these

Multi channel, single phase

There are many applications of poka-yokes in service organizations. Which of the following is one of the three-T's used to classify poka-yokes?

Task

There are many applications of poka-yokes in service organizations. Which of the following is one of the three-T's used to classify poka-yokes?

Treatment

A car wash is an example of a single channel, multiphase queuing system.

True

A firm fills its customers orders from finished goods inventory. It is a:

Make to stock firm

You have just determined the actual number of workstations that will be used on an assembly line to be 6 using the assembly-line balancing procedure. The cycle time of the line is 5 minutes and the sum of all that tasks required on the line is 25 minutes. Which of the following is the correct value for the resulting line's efficiency?

0.833 Using equation 6.5, [25 / (6 x 5)] = 0.833.

Which of the following basic types of process structures is one which equipment or work processes are arranged according to the progressive steps by which the product is made? Project Workcenter Manufacturing cell Assembly line Continuous process

Assembly line

Which of the following is a suggestion for managing queues that is mentioned in the textbook? - Put up a serpentine lane to keep people from jumping ahead in line - Use humor to defuse a potentially irritating situation - Segment the customers - Assure customers that the wait is fair and inform them of the queue discipline - Tell people in the queue that each will be served as soon as possible

Segment the customers

Which of the following is a characteristic that can be used to guide the design of service systems?

Services cannot be inventoried

According to Little's Law, which of the following can be used to estimate work-in-process inventory? Process time/Cycle time Throughput rate times Flow time Process velocity/Flow time Set up time/Throughput rate Value added time/Process velocity

Throughput rate x Flow time

For an infinite queuing situation, if the arrival rate for loading trucks is 5 trucks per hour, what is the mean time between arrivals?

0.2 hours Mean time between arrivals = 1 / Arrival rate = 1 / 5 = 0.2 hours.

Assume the service rate for a queue in a truck-loading operation is 2 trucks per hour. Using the infinite queuing notion for the models presented in the textbook, which of the following is the average service time?

0.5 hours Average service time = 1 / average service rate = 1 / 2 = 0.5 hours.

Using the assembly-line balancing procedure, which of the following is the theoretical minimum number of workstations if the task times for the six tasks that make up the job are 4, 6, 7, 2, 6, and 5 minutes, and the cycle time is 10 minutes?

3 using equation (4+6+7+2+6+5)/10 = 3

Using the assembly-line balancing procedure, which of the following is the theoretical minimum number of workstations if the task times for the eight tasks that make up the job are 7, 4, 7, 8, 9, 4, 3, and 6 minutes, and the cycle time is 8 minutes?

6 Using equation 6.4, (7 + 4 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 4 + 3 + 6) / 8 = 6.

Using the assembly-line balancing procedure, which of the following is the required cycle time in minutes per unit if the daily production time is 480 minutes and the required daily output is 50 units?

9.6 Using equation 6.3, 480 minutes / 50 units = 9.6 minutes per unit.

The placement of which of the following is not determined by production process organization decisions? Departments Workgroups Workstations Machines Emergency exits

Emergency exits

A constant arrival rate is more common in productive systems than a variable arrival rate.

False

A service system with a high degree of customer contact is less difficult to control than a low degree of customer contact service system.

False

When balancing an assembly line, which of the following is not a way to reduce the longest task time below the required workstation cycle time? - Upgrade the equipment - Assign a roaming helper to support the line - Split the task between two workstations - Speed up the assembly line transfer mechanism - Use a more skilled worker

Speed up the assembly line transfer mechanism

A difference between project and continuous flow categories of process flow structures is which two of the following? - The size and bulk of the product - Discrete parts moving from workstation to workstation - Degree of equipment specialization - Being a "Virtual Factory" - Profit per unit

The size and bulk of the product

Which of the following are the three major components of a queuing system? -The source population, how customers exit the system, and the queuing discipline - The number of servers, the service speed and the waiting line - The source population, how the customer exits the system, and the servicing system. - The source population and the way customers arrive at the system, the serving systems, and how customers exit the system. - The service speed, the queue discipline and the waiting line

The source population and the way customers arrive at the system, the serving systems, and how customers exit the system.

Using the assembly-line balancing procedure, which of the following is the required cycle time if the production time in minutes per day is 1440 and the required output per day in units is 2000?

0.72 using equation 6.3, 1,440 minutes/ 2,000 units = 0.72 minutes per unit.

In essence, a queuing system includes several major components. Which of the following is not one of them? -Source population -Servicing system -How the customer exits the system -The queue discipline -None of these

The queue discipline